Oh, Brother
by KimberleyIonaSmith
Summary: Set sometime after the books. Exploring how Edward copes (or doesn't) with Jacob and Renesmee's maturing relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: this is a discipline fic. If those aren't your thing, back away slowly.**

I stood with my nose in the corner and my hands firmly by my sides.

Even when I heard her footsteps behind me I didn't move. I had been in trouble before, but this felt worse than anything I'd got myself into hitherto.

"Turn round, Edward," Bella said sternly.

Her tone didn't bode well. She sounded irritated at having to tell me to face her. Damn. I had been trying to be respectful by remaining in place. It sounded like Bella thought I was playing the fool. Not a good start.

I span quickly and hung my head, trying to show her that I took my position seriously.

Bella huffed slightly, and I looked up to meet her eye. I knew she didn't like me avoiding eye contact, regardless of the situation.

Catching sight of her face, however, I wished that I hadn't looked. Her mouth was pursed in a tight line. Her eyes were cold. She was determined to punish me. That face said that I was shortly going to find myself upended over her lap.

"Whose idea was that?" she asked, nodding towards my corner.

"Emmett told me to stand there," I confessed.

Bella sighed, "well, it quietened you down at least."

Ah, so it wasn't necessarily my slowness in turning that displeased her; she was unimpressed by my standing in the corner at all.

"I was quiet after he spanked me," I said.

Bella looked surprised, nobody can have told her yet. But, more interestingly she looked thoughtful. I recognised the quick succession of microexpressions that told me she was reconsidering her plan. She was wondering, maybe only for a second, whether I needed my backside warmed up after all.

I seized the moment, "it really hurt," I said, "he gave me a very thorough spanking." I didn't say that there was no need for her to add anything to my punishment; even I knew that would be pushing my luck.

I got the impression that Bella thought I was pushing my luck anyway. She raised one eyebrow and said, "was it more than you deserved?"

Not a fair question.

Of course, Emmett hadn't given me the full measure of what I deserved. I was still standing and talking, wasn't I?

"He's very strong," I said, dancing around the edge of her question, "and I promise you, I am well and truly sorry."

"Edward," that warning tone reminded me to straighten up and answer her question. Bella was not completely against warning swats. If she used that tone again today, it was going to be accompanied by a few slaps to the backs of my legs.

I grimaced, I did not need any reminder smacks today, I could still feel the residual sting from Emmett's displeasure. I rearranged my face to the appropriate expression of humility and answered her properly and rapidly, "Emmett did spank me, but it wasn't more than I deserved, no."

Bella's face softened now, reminding me how much she hated being obliged to discipline me. Why did I only remember how awful this was when I was facing a punishment? Why couldn't I remember this feeling four hours ago, when it might have helped me to avoid this situation altogether?

It was easy to say that everyone had seen something like this coming. It had been inevitable that some great clash would occur. Unfortunately, that didn't let me off the hook. A row of some sort had been unavoidable, but my appalling behaviour could certainly have been avoided.

Emmett had no right at all to lay a hand on me, but there wasn't a mind in range that condemned him for it. There wasn't a mind in range that was anything but impressed with Emmett. I'd done more than stepped out of line today. I'd run all around outside of the lines. Emmett had brought me back to my senses, but not before I had made one hell of a mess. Bella was going to kill me.


	2. Chapter 2

The day had begun so well.

Every day begins well now. Every day begins when the sun rises on me in bed with my beautiful wife. After all those years I spent alone, I don't think that I can ever have enough mornings with Bella.

This morning we watched the sun rise together and she sighed, "I have to get up, sweetie. I'm going out with Esme and Alice, Rose and Renesmee. It's a girls day out."

I hummed my frustration into the back of her neck, "can I come?"

Bella sniggered, "are you a girl?"

"An honourary girl," I tried, "just for today?"

She laughed at me, "no, Edward, no girls day out for you. How about tomorrow we have a Masens day out, just the two of us?"

"I would like that, with just one slight change."

"Of course, what?"

"Let's have our day today and you can have your girls day tomorrow."

Bella didn't laugh again, she rolled out of my arms and off the bed. "Don't pout," she said, "you knew that this was planned. I'm sure you'll have fun with your brothers, and Carlisle and Jake."

She went into the bathroom for a shower.

"Can't you at least take Jake with you?" I said, "it's awkward when he's here."

"I would have expected you to like the idea of Renesmee and Jake spending the day apart," my lovely wife replied from the bathroom, calling over the sound of the water.

I scowled. She was right, of course, I did quite like the idea of splitting up Renesmee and Jake for the day, but not enough to like the idea of spending the day with Jake myself.

Things had become tense between Jacob and me recently. There was something I didn't like about the way he was with Renesmee now. And, I don't think he liked it very much either. Having me hearing his thoughts was awkward at the best of times, but, right now, while his relationship with my only daughter was in flux, it had gone beyond awkward and entered unbearable.

Alice had tried to warn me before they left, "something's going to happen," she said, "I think it's connected with Jake, I can only see flickers. But it looks really bad, Edward. You've got to be careful."

I scowled at her, looking at the images in her mind, "there's so much interference, it doesn't mean anything," I said.

Alice stomped her little foot, "you can see as well as I can; it looks like you're in trouble. Please, Edward, change the course you're on."

I sighed and tried to humour her, "alright, Alice. I'll be careful, I promise."

"Edward! You don't mean that. Nothing's changing at all."

"Maybe I can't change it until I know what it is," I offered, "I will look out for trouble and I will steer well clear."

She wasn't satisfied. Alice could tell that I wasn't taking her warning seriously. But, she obviously couldn't think of any way of making me listen better. She was irritated with me when the girls left.

Nobody planned on leaving me and Jacob Black alone together, not even for a second. But, I snuck away from them all, back to the blessed silence of the empty house, just needing a few minutes to clear my head, and, when I left through the back door, Jake was there, come looking for something to eat.

"Er, Edward, I didn't know you were in here," he said. But what he was thinking was much more unpleasant. _Don't think about last night,_ he was telling himself. _Don't think about her lips. Definitely don't think about her lips on your . . . Oops._

"Sorry," he said out loud, "I was really trying not to let that picture in my head. But, you know, it's like trying not to think of an elephant."

I scowled at him, "you are disgusting, I wish you would keep your hands and your eyes off my daughter."

He smirked. _Keep my hands and eyes off her, we could make that work. Nessi quite likes blindfolds . . ._

I growled a warning.

"Come on, Edward, it's not like I can help it. You know how imprinting works: I become whatever she needs me to be. I love her like this because she wants me to. Basically," he winked horribly, "this is all down to your daughter's dirty mind."

So I tried to kill him.

I'd wanted to kill him before, of course. I'd fantasised about it. Though it seemed a long time ago to Jacob, all those nights of panic and fury felt like yesterday to me. He was so close - so terrifyingly close I couldn't breathe when I thought on it - so close to taking my Bella from me. He wanted to take away the light of my existence, and he nearly managed it. How could I forget her running off to be with him? How could I let go of that image of him kissing her? It was always there, crystal clear in my mind, every detail as precise as ever. No memories, however terrible, ever left my mind.

And now, now he was after my daughter. Now it was my precious, miracle child that he wanted. Now she was running after him. Now he was filling his head with pictures of her kissing him: a mixture of memories, plans and longings, but always my daughter in his arms. First my Bella, now my Renesmee.

It wasn't going to keep happening. I was going to destroy him before he destroyed me.

With a primal roar, all the barely suppressed rage rose up and burst forth, and I leapt.

He may be a werewolf - well, shape shifter who looks like a wolf - but I am older and far more experienced. Jacob Black has never stood a chance against me. He never knew how much danger he was in, teasing me, mocking me, challenging me! Now he will know.

There aren't words for what I did. Hitting, tearing, biting: it was all those things, but they are not the core of it. I was a vampire attacking an enemy. It's a feeling, an action, not a sequence of words. It felt as though my heart was beating again. It felt as though, as I destroyed my rival, his life filled me, brought me back to life, but not as a human, rather as a superhuman, living vampire. It should have been the pinnacle of my existence.

Except I couldn't finish. I was grabbed from behind. In my excitement, I had missed Emmett's approach. He wrapped his huge hands around my arms, trying to spin me around, and put himself between me and the dying wolf.

Emmett had a grip of me, but I could read his intentions and see where his grip was weakest. It was child's play to slip from his arms.

At that moment, Carlisle and Jasper came into view, I hesitated. Fighting Emmett was one thing, pushing my way past Major Jasper Whitlock was quite another.

That brief hesitation was enough for Emmett.

"Calm down, Ed," he said, grabbing me in a headlock, "get a hold of yourself."

He grinned at the others, "I've got Eddie boy," he said, "you see to Jake."

Carlisle ran to the dog's side, "Jasper," he said, "fetch my bag."

Jasper barred his head in acknowledgment and ran off towards Carlisle's office. I wasn't going to get a better chance to finish what I'd started.

One again, I slipped Emmett's grasp, and he cursed loudly. I ran towards Jacob, determined to make the most of this last opportunity.

Carlisle stood up, but it was easy to dodge him. Suddenly, Jacob was within my grasp.

But, then before I could grab him, strong arms grabbed me once more and dragged me away. I might be able to outrun Emmett, I could even outwit him on a good day, but he would always be stronger than me.

"No, you don't," he said, "you're coming with me, Eddie my lad."

Jasper was back, running past us to Carlisle's side, handing him the bag and looking Jacob over for himself.

"His arm," I heard Jasper shout, "hang it all, Carlisle, the boy bit him!"

Carlisle growled in frustration, in his mind, I saw him rush through every conceivable outcome. Then he said, far calmer than he was feeling, "I'll have to amputate."

I saw Carlisle's words coming, and used Emmett's shock to escape him a third time. I wriggled free from Emmett's restraint and he snapped.

He moved so fast I didn't see what he was thinking before he did it. It was an instinctive move: the best kind to use against me.

By the time I heard him thinking how much I reminded him of his baby brother, he had me bent double over his knee. At the same moment as he thought to himself that what I needed right now was a good walloping, I felt the first burst of pain as his hand snapped down on my backside.

"Yow!" I heard myself scream out in surprise. I might have been prepared for a fight, but that was not the same thing as being prepared for a swat on the rear.

I couldn't fight against this. It felt different.

Spankings were something that I got occasionally - when I was completely out of line and Bella thought that I needed a firm boundary - and when Emmett's hand cracked down on me, it reminded me of those. I stopped fighting him and tensed up. My body recognised this position and this sensation. This meant that I had been naughty. All the times that I had been disciplined added up and insisted that I submit now. My body knew what to do during a spanking, hold position and take your punishment.

But, however similar it felt, this was not a proper punishment session. This was my brother grabbing me without any authority. I did not want a smacked bottom and I most definitely didn't want to get one at Emmett's hand.

He brought his hand down hard, again and again. His hand was huge, easily covering my entire seat with each swat. Emmett had hit - literally - on the ideal way to hold me still. There were consequences to messing about during a spanking. I was now so well-trained that I was finding it hard to work out how it would even be possible for me to move right now. I would have to wait until my spanking was over, and I knew that it wasn't my place to decide when that would be.

Meanwhile, Carlisle was trying to soothe Jacob, "I'm sorry," he said, "but we have to remove your arm before the venom spreads. I can give you a little morphine, but you'll probably burn it off fast."

Jacob's mind was shockingly clear, all he was thinking about was Renesmee, and this sudden possible chance of staying with her. "Hurry," he panted out.

Carlisle agreed, there was no time to waste. He tied off the arm with a tourniquet, hoping that would keep my venom from spreading. He gave Jacob half the morphine he had and he began to cut.

Emmett seemed caught up in the rush, dealing harsh smacks as if he thought we had a time limit too. After the first half dozen, I managed to stutter out an objection, "Em, stop! Hurts!"

It didn't have the desired effect, the next handful of smacks were even harder. Emmett was the strongest of all of us, and he was angry.

"Supposed to hurt," he muttered, "teach you a lesson. We do not hurt family."

I didn't think it was worth pointing out the irony of the situation: Emmett laying into me as hard as he could in order to teach me not to hurt family members. I knew the difference perfectly well. I had been completely out of control and given into my rage; Emmett was deliberately administering a traditional spanking to my rear. Besides, however much this hurt me right now, I was going to fully recover in a day or so. There was no such prospect for Jacob.

Emmett was remembering his baby brothers from his human life. He'd doled out a few spankings to unruly boys, and knew just what he was doing.

Without really considering it, he tugged my slacks down and started spanking me over my underpants. I cried out at the loss of my protection and dignity and Emmett made a satisfied grunt.

He worked fast, ensuring that there was never a long enough pause between swats for me to gather my thoughts and wriggle off his lap.

Carlisle was right and Jacob's metabolism quickly burnt through all the morphine. His cries mixed with mine in the air.

But, while my yelps were reaching a crescendo as Emmett continued to punish my already sore posterior, Jacob's cries tailed off into a puppyish whimper as Carlisle finished the operation and the burning pain disappeared with Jacob's arm.

Once he'd reduced me to a whimpering child, felt me sag against him and give up struggling, Emmett stopped my walloping - as he thought of it - as suddenly as he'd begun, and stood me back up on my feet.

He pulled my trousers up, without ceremony, letting the fabric drag against my raw skin. I was snivelling and hiccuping, and Emmett's face didn't cheer me: I had never seen him look severe before.

"I expect Bella will want words with you," he said, "you'll put your nose in the corner and wait for her to come and deal with you."

I obeyed instantly, having no idea what Emmett would do with me if I hesitated, and even less desire to find out.

In the corner, I let myself have a little sob at my embarrassing predicament, and reached back to rub my sore rear end.

Emmett put a stop to that with a sharp rap on the back of my hands, "arms straight by your sides," he ordered, "you are in deep disgrace right now, young man."

I mumbled a wet apology and didn't move again.

I saw a rather unpleasant image flash through Emmett's mind of him using a belt to take me properly to task. He dismissed the idea as soon as it came to him, reminding himself that he had no authority to thrash me and he might be able to help Carlisle.

Now that I had been successfully subdued, the rest of the family ignored me. They concentrated their energies on calling the women back and soothing Jacob, leaving me to stew in my solitary thoughts.

In case Carlisle thought of some miracle cure later, Emmett put Jacob's arm on ice. But nobody held out much hope of that.

"Rose," Emmett was saying, "you need to come home, straight away, it's Jacob . . ." from where I was standing, I couldn't make out Rose's answer, "Edward hurt him pretty bad . . . he's here; he's doing everything he can. Just hurry home."

"Do you think the venom spread?" Jasper said.

Carlisle sighed, "I'm afraid I don't know. Jake, do you still feel it burning?"

"There is one way to be sure," Jasper said hesitantly, "but it is a little unorthodox. If I could taste . . ."

Ignoring the very natural grimace of distaste - could anything be more disgusting than the suggestion of drinking wolf blood? - Carlisle said, "you can't, Jasper, even if you were trying to drink, just the touch of your teeth would poison him . . ."

"I wasn't thinking of biting him," Jasper said, hesitantly, "I was thinking of, well, bleeding him . . . then drinking that. Sorry, Jake, I just . . . If there's any venom left in your bloodstream . . ."

Emmett couldn't contain his laughter, "Jazz, that is gross," he said, "if you're that thirsty, maybe you should look in the woods for a badger or something."

Jacob gave a snort, "help yourself, " he said, in a pitiful attempt at his usual voice.

Carlisle must have agreed because, after a few footsteps - fetching a cup, I suppose - I heard Jasper apologise again, then Jacob gave a slight gasp of pain and the smell of his blood was refreshed.

There was a splashing noise then a slurp and a splutter.

"Well, you taste as bad as you smell," Jasper said, and Jacob chuckled weakly, sounding like a much older version of himself. "But, I can't taste Edward's venom at all. I think we were in time."


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on," Bella said, "family meeting."

I grimaced, but followed her anyway. There was no escape from a family meeting, and I had learnt not to bother trying.

We had the family meeting outside, which was a first. Standing in a circle at the edge of the wood felt more natural and casual than sitting around the table together, everyone in their places, everyone stern. We were more relaxed out in the open. I liked it. Maybe this could be the first of many open air meetings.

Carlisle wasn't with us, he was sat in the house watching over Jacob Black. Alice and Renesmee were with him. Alice would tell the others what was said at the meeting, since she was with Jacob, she would be able to see him too. Alice hated to be blind.

"You nearly killed him," Rosalie said, always the one to get quickest to the meat of the matter, "slapping him about a bit, I could understand, I might even be in your side. But, shoot, Edward, the guy could've died."

"It's not as though he's a person," I protested.

Bella's hand cracked on the backs of my legs like machine gun fire. I yelped and tried to jump out of reach, but Bella simply adjusted her swing.

"He's the man our daughter loves," she hissed, "he's a close friend of mine. He's a good guy. And, most importantly, who made you the judge of who gets to be a person?"

"I get it, I'm sorry," I stuttered out, and the slaps finally stopped.

"There isn't even a name for that kind of prejudice," Bella said, "and I won't stand for it. Alright, you don't like Jake, that's one thing, but saying he's less of a person! Come on, Edward."

I could have defended my opinion far more clearly than Bella stated hers, but I suspected that eloquence wasn't really the point right now. I had started this meeting in a hole, and any attempt at defending myself was only going to get me in deeper.

My legs didn't stop stinging, though.

"Did he attack you?" Bella asked, almost hopefully.

I shook my head, "not precisely. Although he was certainly trying to rile me. His thoughts about our daughter weren't at all respectable."

"Is that all?"

"You can't see in his head," I tried to explain, "it's our daughter and the way he thinks of her. How am I supposed to bear it? No man could stand it."

"It's not really a good enough reason to bite him. We have to be in better control of ourselves than that."

I looked around the group. Bella was fond of Jacob Black - she always had been - maybe I would get more empathy from someone else.

Rose was out, of course. Not only had Emmett already placed them firmly on Team Jacob, but she had her own bond with the dog these days. Both Rosalie and Jacob cared so deeply for Renesmee - my daughter - they had formed a sort of not-the-parents alliance.

I looked to my sweet mother, instead. She just believed in mercy in general and was most likely to offer excuses for me.

"Attacking a family member is against the rules," Esme said sadly, "Jacob is part of this family, Edward, whether you like it or not."

"Do we need to vote?" Jasper asked, "it seems like we're all in agreement that biting Jacob was a serious breach."

There were nods all around. And, just like that, I was on my own, in a whole world of trouble.

"Do you have any explanation?" Bella asked me, "please?"

"None of you are interested in my explanation," I said, "you have already declared me guilty. You can't understand the provocation I was under. So you're not even trying."

"That's not true," Rose said, angrily, "we completely understand how difficult this is for you. We try to keep you away from Jake, because this is so difficult for you. Your daughter doesn't even live in the same house as her husband, because this is so difficult for you. Your rudeness, your sulking, all your moody behaviour is overlooked because everyone knows how difficult this is for you. But, you have gone too far. You bit Jake. He could have died. As it is, he's lost an arm. However hard you're finding his marriage to your daughter, even you have got to see your behaviour is completely unacceptable!"

There was silence. Rose had said so much, we needed a bit of quiet to balance things out.

Finally, Jasper spoke again, "so, if we're all in agreement that rules were broken, do we agree that consequences are in order?"

More looks exchanged, more sad nods.

"I would prefer to handle this privately," Bella said, "I'll see that Edward gets what he deserves."

It wasn't fair. I was being condemned to a spanking, and nobody even cared what Jacob had done.

"He said that he thought those horrible things because Renesmee wanted them. He said my daughter had 'a dirty mind' and he winked at me."

"That was unkind of him," Esme said gently, "but not really a reason to take his arm."

"If you had chosen to take the high road, then Jacob would be the one in trouble," Rose said, she always had something to say, "but you didn't."

"You spanked Edward, already," my wife said to my brother.

"A few swats," he agreed, "I'm sorry if I overstepped. It was the only thing I could think of."

Bella nodded, "it worked," she said, "I don't think anyone could blame you. But, a few swats, you don't think he's received due punishment?"

Emmett's eyes widened, "your call, Bells," he said, "but I will say that I would expect more if I was the one who got into a fight."

Great. Thanks for that one, Emmett. I will remember this when we next have a meeting about something that you shouldn't have done.

"You are going to need a proper punishment " Bella said to me.

I whimpered slightly. "But, Bella," I began, before she cut me off.

"Edward! You tried to kill him."

"He is Jacob Black," I said, wishing she would understand that I had every right to kill a creature that tried to destroy my family.

But, she didn't seem to understand quite how big a mitigating factor that was. She answered me with another hard slap to the backs of my legs.

I was growing less fond of having family meetings standing up.

"Ow! I'm sorry!"

"Um . . . Alice texted me . . ." Jasper said, he didn't seem at all happy.

"No," I said quickly, before he had a chance to put his thoughts into words.

But he ignored my objection and continued, "Jacob wants a wolf to er . . . witness Edward's punishment."

Everyone stared at him in shock. So Jasper went on, "Jacob says that the pack are furious and he wants them to see that we take this seriously. He wants to avoid a showdown."

It takes a lot to silence my whole family, but this latest revelation did just that. They all stood in silence, running through scenarios in their heads. I didn't enjoy many of these.

Rosalie replied first, "weirdly, I get what he's saying. It might look like we're condoning this, but if one of them sees . . . well, then they'll know we don't think it's OK to bite wolves."

Emmett frowned, "I don't like it," he said, "why humiliate Edward? Punishments should be private."

"None of us interfere in pack discipline," Jasper said, seemingly as discomforted as Emmett.

"But, none of the pack have tried to kill one of us," Rose said.

I looked to Esme. Gentle Esme would be on my side. She wouldn't stand for making a public spectacle of me, surely. But, Esme didn't speak up for me at all, to my horror, she merely said: "What do you think, Bella?"

Bella frowned, "I don't know. I mean, I suppose I can see their point. But, isn't there some other way of letting the pack know that we don't approve. What does Carlisle think?"

Jasper looked at his phone again, not bothering to ask Alice the question, since she would have already seen it. Sure enough, the answer came through.

"The pack need to know," Jasper read out, "not only that Edward acted alone in this, but also that - as a family - we have intervened and can ensure that it never happens again."

Emmett sighed, "true. I guess you're going to have to take one for the team, Eddie boy."

"We have an alliance here," Jasper said, "which we should preserve. Maybe a few years ago, we could have just left. But, now, with so many ties to the Pack, it's harder. I think we should try to make things right with them."

I looked to Esme again, if anyone could bring this back to mercy, it would have to be Esme.

She looked sad, "Edward, sweetheart, I know that this will be unpleasant, but, the wolves are part of our family and deserve to be respected. If this matters to them, I think that you need to give way and allow it."

As if I have any choice in the matter.

"Alright then," Bella said, "I'll call the pack and work this witness thing out."

The rest of the family dispersed pretty quickly, then. I guess they felt one witness to my spanking would be enough. Perhaps I should be grateful that they didn't just put up tiered seating.

Bella texted furiously for a few minutes. I guessed she was making arrangements with the wolf pack, but that really wasn't something that I wanted to know about, or even think about. Would the wolves be eager to see me get my comeuppance? Would Bella insist on limiting the size of our audience?

In a way, it made no difference how many wolves actually showed up. Once they were in wolf form they could share the whole memory freely, every moment in crisp detail with a flawless soundtrack would be bounced around their collective pack mind over and over, until they were all bored of it.

I shuffled my feet and tried not to think too much about my immediate future.

Eventually, Bella looked up at me.

"I can't do it tonight," Bella said. "I'm sorry, Edward. I know that waiting for your punishment is going to be unpleasant for you. But, I am just too angry right now. I don't want to punish you in anger. So, I'm going to take the night to cool off and I'll deal with you tomorrow."

She had never made me wait before, well, not deliberately like this. Obviously, there had been a couple of 'wait till I get you home' moments. It wasn't as though Bella could put me over her knee in the middle of a shopping mall. Nor did she tend to do it in front of my family. It was no secret that I got my ass whooped when I behaved like a teenage brat, but Bella always waited until a convenient time, rather than just grabbing me in the moment and letting me have it. But, this was the first time that Bella had delayed a discipline session because she wasn't ready.

"Er . . . what should I do?" I asked, "I assume that you don't want me to come home with you tonight."

I didn't see how I could stay here, either. It would be seriously awkward if I spent the night standing in the corner of my parents' living room. What if someone wanted to watch TV?

Bella Iooked softly at me. "Of course you can come home, sweetie. I said that I want a bit of time to get my head straight before I discipline you, not that I plan on banishing you from the house. Come on. Let's go home."


	4. Chapter 4

It was Leah.

I glared at Bella, she sighed.

 _It wasn't as though there were a lot of volunteers,_ she lifted her shield to give me a quick explanation, _Seth doesn't want to see you at all right now. And Leah, well, she has kids of her own, she gets it._

She dropped her shield back into place, hiding her thoughts before I could see what it was that Leah 'gets'. I mean, I'm not Bella's kid, however childish I may feel right now. It's my wife who's going to whip me, not my mommie.

"Can I get you a drink?" Bella offered, "tea, beer, something stronger?"

"A stiff drink sounds great," Leah said.

"If any day called for scotch, this would be one," Bella agreed, "why don't you pour Leah a drink?" she asked me.

It was a relief to have something to do. I took my time selecting a glass, dropping in the perfect iced cubes, pouring expensive scotch generously over them. I couldn't look Leah in the eye as I handed it over, but, then, she couldn't look me in the eye, either.

 _Of all the things I've done for my people,_ Leah thought, _this has to be one of the worst. How do I get landed with all the crappy jobs? Damn Jake and his complicated family life._

I tried very hard not to cry when Bella fetched the cane. I knew that it was likely to make an appearance. But, I held out hope for as long as possible.

Bella knows how much I hate the cane. The sight of it terrifies me.

She's only ever used it once before. I behaved appallingly at school, people asked questions about how fast and quiet I managed to be. Even then, I only got six strokes. The cane is horrible.

But today, I was expecting more than six strokes, and I had to take them in public. Leah was going to see me cry.

She saw me tremble first, though. My shiver at the sight of the horrible implement hadn't gone unnoticed.

 _What is that?_ she wondered _Wouldn't most things shatter on impact? He seems afraid of it. Unless he's just a good actor. What is this I'm seeing, anyway: some secret Cullen ritual or a play intended to pacify the pack?_

"Over the desk," Bella said softly.

She didn't ask me to disrobe, and I was grateful, or I should have been. In all honesty, my gratitude was swamped by terror and embarrassment. I had no emotional space left to be grateful, but I knew it was a kindness to leave me dressed.

I lay myself over the desk, my backside arching up into a vulnerable target. At least bending over the desk allowed me to hide my face in my elbow. Maybe my arm would even muffle the pathetic sobbing that I was bound to make.

"You know what this is about," Bella said, "you attacked Jake, and that sort of violence cannot ever be repeated. I am going to give you something to remember if you ever consider hurting our family again."

'Our family' she said, which was a little unfair. I hadn't exactly attacked our family, it was only Jacob Black, a friend - perhaps - but calling him a family member was an exaggeration.

The first crack made me gasp. It hurt as much as I remembered.

Leah cringed slightly in her seat and swallowed the last of her scotch in own desperate gulp. She did not want to watch this with a clear head.

It was everything I had expected.

Each crack brought a fresh stripe of hot, shameful pain. Each crack was another reminder that I had lost control, failed my family and shamed myself. I had acted like a monster.

It took every bit of will power to hold my position, I had none left to hold in my cries. I yelped and begged and sobbed into the crook of my arm.

There was no lecture today. It was too simple a fault to warrant one. I attacked Jacob Black, I earned a whipping.

It was a relief not to hear Bella scolding me. At least Leah couldn't hear my faults being carefully listed and detailed.

The absence of a verbal reprimand left the room eerily quiet, though. The only sounds were the godawful smack of the cane and my pathetic crying. I lost touch with Leah's thoughts at some point, my mind totally overwhelmed by my punishment and my guilt.

By the end, with me collapsed over the desk, weeping shamelessly, Leah had stopped wondering if this was a performance.

 _That was no play acting._ Leah was thinking. Her thoughts clear to me again, now that the sting was starting to settle _That_ _was brutal._

 _I don't know what I expected. I suppose if you need to keep supernatural killing machines under control, you have to get brutal at times. But, still. I couldn't do that to anyone, not even him. And I don't lose a lot of sleep worrying about Edward Cullen._

 _At least, I didn't used to lose a lot of sleep over him. Poor boy. He's only a child, really. How did I never see that before? He's always seemed so dangerous, this ancient vampire who persuaded our ancestors into a treaty - without telling them that he could read their thoughts, of course, cheeky brat - but that's not the whole of him. All this time, he's been a child._

I would have loved to disabuse her of that notion. I am no child.

But, I'm not exactly encouraged to argue with people's thoughts. It's been subject to heated discussion throughout the family. Though, personally, I maintain my position that I should be allowed to defend myself against unfair assessments whether I hear them out loud or mentally, I am well aware of opposing views, and don't think that the minutes following a whipping are the best moments to present my case.

If I want Leah to stop thinking of me as a snivelling child, I'm going to have to get up and stop snivelling.

I stood up.

Taking a good, deep breath, I looked at Bella and managed to mumble a weak "thank you." It was meant to be a man's strong tone, but my voice let me down.

"It's over now," Bella said softly, she raised her arms as if she would have liked to hold me, but she didn't want to embarrass me even further by cosseting me in front of Leah. "I hope we don't have to do this again."

I couldn't hold eye contact at that. My gaze slipped to the carpet and I muttered, "no, ma'am, it won't happen again."

"All right," Bella turned from me, "you speak for the Pack, will they be satisfied?" she asked Leah.

What was happening? She was asking Leah if I deserved further punishment. What if Leah said that the pack weren't satisfied? Was I going to be ordered back over the desk?

I couldn't bear it. I wouldn't be able to hold my position. It was too much.

My poor attempt at bravery crumbled a little; without meaning to, I whimpered a tiny "please."

Leah winced.

"We are satisfied," she said, "we want peace and continued friendship with the Cullens. This has been a sad episode. Let's end it here."

"Thank you," Bella replied.

"I'll see you around," Leah said, then she gave a wry smile, "


	5. Chapter 5

Left alone with my wife, I risked a quick glance at her face. Was she still angry with me?

Bella was chewing her bottom lip nervously. What on earth did she have to worry about?

"I'm sorry," she said, "if I'd seen any other option, I wouldn't have gone through with that. I should probably have tried harder."

I sighed, of course, she was worried that I would be mad at her for giving me what I deserved.

"No," I said, trying to sound a least a little bit less miserable, "you did everything right. The family agreed on my punishment and, if it hadn't been you . . ."

Bella reached over and cupped my chin. Somehow my head had ducked down while I was talking to her. I really didn't want to think about who would have stepped in, had Bella refused.

"Oh, sweetie," she said, her voice as soft as her hand, "I should have stood up for you. I know you didn't really mean it. You would never really want to hurt Jake."

I didn't answer that. After all, I did want to hurt Jacob Black, very, very much. In fact, the only good thing to come out of this whole mess was that split second of pure satisfaction when I hurt Jacob Black. I am not enough of a fool to tell Bella that.

She took my silence as agreement. Sat down on one end of the sofa. Very carefully, I laid down next to her, crossing my arms on her lap and laying my head down on them.

Bella stroked my hair, soothing me and assuring me that she still cared for me, even if she had just given me a thrashing. I was going to be sore for hours, possibly even several days, the more of that time I could spend being petted by my wife, the better. It didn't take anything away from the throbbing in my backside, but at least the rest of me felt comfortable.

"Poor baby," Bella said idly, continuing to stroke and pet.

I moaned softly.

"I love you," Bella continued, "I never want us to go through that kind of thing again.'

Well, me neither. In fact, I suspect that I'm substantially more concerned about preventing a repeat of this morning's scene than she is.

The whole sorry business has been quite unpleasant, and I would rather not repeat any of it (unless I could manage a way to hurt Jacob Black without getting caught . . . that I would go for), ugh, especially that horrible but with Emmett. Just knowing that Emmett had spanked me made my toes curl. I couldn't bear to be subject to his discipline ever again.

There was a very real risk, though, of him having another go. His impression of me had changed when he had me over his knee. I could see that he thought of me as his kid brother now, and I knew that he'd almost brought up some of his human brothers back in the day. I didn't want Emmett trying to keep me in check.

He hadn't been scolded or humiliated. Everybody had treated his behaviour as acceptable, almost laudable, even. Next time I snapped at Rose or teased Alice, was I going to find myself upended over Emmett's lap?

"Please, Bella," I said, in my very sweetest voice, "don't let Emmett spank me again. He hurt me."

She laughed, which wasn't what I had hoped for at all. Then she leant forward and brushed my hair from my face, softly.

"You look so adorable right now, it's hard to picture you causing so much trouble. But, you did, and I can't bear to think about what would have happened if Emmett hadn't been there to bring you to your senses. I'm glad he did think of giving you a smack."

"I swear to you, what happened today will never happen again," there is no chance that I will get caught next time. "So please tell Emmett that he can't just wallop me whenever he feels like it."

"Wallop you?"

"His words," I said, then, seeing her forehead crease, I corrected myself, "or his thoughts rather. I didn't like them." I pouted, wondering whether the difficulties inherent in mind reading would persuade Bella, after all if anyone but her spanks me, I have to watch myself being spanked in their mind as well as endure it in reality.

"He's never done it before," she reasoned, far too calmly still, "and I imagine that he's felt like it plenty. You can be a bit of a brat, Edward."

I pouted, "your brat," I said, "nobody else's. I belong over your lap."

Bella kissed me on the nose. "I'd rather you weren't over any laps, at all, might that be an option?"

"I am certainly going to be on my very best behaviour for a while," I said, rubbing my rear ruefully, "you made quite an impression on me."

"A while?" Bella echoed back, raising one eyebrow.

"Well," I said, remembering the several promises that I had made in the past to never cause any trouble again, "forever is very long time to be good."

She sighed.

"So you'll talk to Emmett?" I checked.

Bella shook her head, "you're going to talk to Emmett," she corrected.

I considered this. I suppose having my wife tell him not to spank me wouldn't give quite the desired impression. If I wanted Emmett to take me seriously, then I did need to speak to him myself.

But, I had a feeling it couldn't be that easy.

"I don't know how well that's going to go. He already knows that I didn't like it, and that didn't stop him this time."

Bella laughed at me.

I was a bit taken aback. Didn't she think this was serious?

Then she explained, "I wasn't suggesting that you tell him not to do it again. I think that you should thank him for doing it this time."

"You're not serious! You want me to thank Emmett for hitting me!"

"I think you should thank him for stepping in when he did, bringing you back into line when you were out of control, and preventing a tragedy."

I took a little bit of time to think this over, far longer than such an absurd suggestion warranted, because this was Bella, and I love her. Then I said, as calmly as I could, "no. That is definitely not a good plan."

"No?"

"No! If I were to thank him - besides the fact that would be mortifying beyond belief - he would absolutely take that as a free pass to repeat the performance whenever he pleased. It's more than enough to have you spanking me at will. I will not stand for the rest of the family joining in."

"Is that what you think this is, Edward: me spanking you 'at will'? You think I wanted to do that?"

"I don't know! How should I know what you want, you never let me see what you're thinking. I've been shut out of your head all day. And, if you didn't want to spank me, then I really don't know what was happening, because I most certainly didn't want it!"

Bella sighed, "please calm down, Edward. Maybe we should take a break before we say something we regret."

"I am as calm as it is possible to be when one has taken a severe thrashing and is now being told to go and ask for another one."

I was being a bit silly there, and I knew it. Bella hadn't exactly told me to ask for a thrashing. I waited for her to point that out so I could tell that she may as well have done, since that was how Emmett would hear me thanking him. But, Bella didn't say what I expected. She didn't say anything. She just sat and waited.

So, because I don't do well with silence, can't bear not to know what she's thinking, and will do anything to provoke a reaction from my wife; I carried on.

"What is this about, anyway? Are you mad because you really think I was in the wrong, or do you just want a good excuse to make me suffer? Is this because I got into a fight with Jacob Black at last, and you didn't expect me to win? Are you mad because I wounded your lover?"

I don't know what I expected then, I probably deserved a slap. But, what Bella did was to stand up and leave the room.

It wasn't the response I wanted, obviously. But, at least I now knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that I'm insufferable.


	6. Chapter 6

"You were very rude earlier," Bella said sternly.

I sighed, "I know, I'm sorry."

She gave a slight half smile, "come here, sweetie."

She wasn't smiling properly, not yet, she was smiling that strained, pained smile, that I wish I didn't recognise so well.

I walked closer and let her pull me over her knee.

"I guess you weren't quite ready earlier," she said softly, "to reflect on your behaviour. Let's try and get this finished now, shall we?"

I sighed, but could hardly complain. Bella was right. I'd taken my whipping as if it had been completely unearned. I hadn't exactly learnt anything from it.

Bella tugged down my trousers and boxers, and I sighed again. A spanking on top of a whipping, this is going to hurt like the dickens. How do I get into so much trouble? I should really start thinking before I speak.

She landed a fierce swat on my backside, making me renew the whimpering that I'd only recently ceased.

"Jacob is family," Bella scolded, raining smacks down all the while, "you know that it's wrong to attack anyone, let alone family. The whole philosophy of our family is that we don't want to hurt or kill others for our own sake. You don't want to be a monster."

That particular comment stung fiercely. I hated my baser instincts, only too aware that they made me unworthy of my wife, my daughter, my family. I didn't want to be a monster. Is that what she thought of me now? Is that what attacking Jacob made me?

"You don't ever want to do something like that again, do you Edward?"

"No!" I cried out, gasping for breath, sobbing once more over my wife's lap, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll never do it again. I swear!"

She sighed now, with relief. "I know, sweetie," she said, gathering me up into a warm hug, "I know you won't do it again."

I cuddled into her, enjoying the caresses that proved she didn't hate me, even now.

"I'm sorry," I said again, "I wish I hadn't been rude earlier."

"I know, baby," Bella said, "it's over now."

I shuffled a bit, pulling my clothes back into place, settling next to her on the couch, rising up off my hot rear end and up on my knees instead.

Bella kissed me once on the cheek.

"Emmett stopped you doing something terrible," Bella said, "do you, at least, agree with that?"

I scowled and rubbed my backside, which stung anew at her reminder, "I understand that completely, and I am very sorry for biting Jacob, I promise."

Bella didn't look fully reassured, "you're glad he stopped you?"

That was a harder question. I was sorry for attacking Jacob, I was never going to repeat it. I hated my punishment, and was never going to let it happen again. But, was I actually pleased that Emmett had stopped me?

Let's say he hadn't been there, he hadn't grabbed me in time, I would - without a shadow of a doubt - finished off Jacob Black. I would have won!

But, then what?

Bella would have been furious, even more so than she had been today. Imagine the trouble I would have been in, if he'd actually died. That would have been pretty much unendurable.

What might the wolves have done? Had Jacob actually died at my hand, no treaty would have held them back. They would almost certainly have attacked us.

I could have put my family in real danger, yet again.

All the treaties and careful diplomacy could have been destroyed in an instant, simply because I don't like Jacob Black.

After all the things my family had put up with on behalf, all my recklessness, all my stubbornness, that fiasco in Volterra, I could have brought a pack of wolves on them. No wonder they thought of me as the eternal teenager. It was constant angst and foolishness with me. This latest tantrum was pretty typical. It had seemed defensible for so brief a time, but now, it was clear that it could have ended terribly badly.

And, Renesmee, she would have been distraught. It would have been quite awful, honestly.

Now that Jacob wasn't in front of me, it was obvious, killing him had not been a good plan. It wasn't really the answer to my problems. In fact, I was better off with Jacob alive than dead. What a peculiar realisation.

"I guess it was for the best," I agreed.

"OK then," Bella said, moving on and trying not to frown at my lacklustre acknowledgment, "in the moment, he stopped you in the best way that came to mind. Can't you just thank him for that?"

"Do I have to?"

Bella didn't answer me. She just glared.

That said it all, really. Yes, I most definitely did have to do as I was told now.

"Oh," I said, "I see. I'll thank Emmett, I promise."

The glare didn't move. But one of Bella's hands twitched, as if it wanted to smack my legs again, but was - temporarily - being restrained.

"I'm going to do it right away," I amended.

I left the room and went looking for my brother. I found him in the games room, playing a new shoot 'em up. Since I was trying to be nice here, I hung back and waited for him to finish the round.

Apparently, my showing that level of consideration is so rare that it qualifies as suspicious.

Emmett's head whipped around to look at me and he frowned. _What does he want?_

"Edward?" He asked, voicing his thoughts as usual, "what do you want?"

"Emmett," I said, watching his character, bereft of control, getting horribly and vividly slaughtered on the screen, "about what happened when you stopped me killing Jacob . . ."

He looked slightly less suspicious and a little more confused. But he turned the game off anyway, and turned his whole body towards me, ready to give me his full attention.

 _Can't imagine he's in any state to fight today,_ Emmett thought, _not after that howling._

He grinned at me, "maybe today isn't the best day to settle things, Eddie boy, for your sake."

I grimaced, "that's not what I meant. I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" _Ah, Bella must have told him to, poor guy._ "Oh, Eddy, you are so whipped. "

Truer words were never spoken.

"Seriously, Emmett, I was out of line and out of control, and you stopped me before things went really badly. You saved me from myself. Thank you."

"Any time, little brother." Emmett grinned broadly. _It was much easier than I would have expected, what with the mind reading stuff. I could definitely do that again._

I winced, not particularly reassured by his promise. I didn't want a repeat.

He noticed my expression fall and winked, "let's hope it doesn't come to that shall we? I would rather leave anything related to your butt to Bella." _Oh, Eddy, that was so funny, did you get that: anything to do with your butt, like spanking and like all kinds of butt stuff! That was so funny! I wish I had a bigger audience for that moment._

Well, I suppose, if he'd tried really, really hard, maybe he could have made that a bit more awkward.

I can't blush, but Emmett can certainly make me squirm. It's hard to believe that just a moment ago I was thanking this guy - perfectly sincerely - for holding me to account for my behaviour. I have really got to up my game.


End file.
